Board OKs $6 million budget for new HHS gym

DARLINGTON - Construction of a new gymnasium for Hartsville High School is scheduled to start in early November with a goal of completion in time for the start of basketball season in 2010, the architect for the project told the Darlington County Board of Education Monday.

The board approved a $6 million budget for the project and a design and construction schedule at its June meeting.

The new gymnasium, which will be attached to the existing gym with access between the facilities, will feature an arena-style design inside with seating on all sides of the basketball court, said Joel Carter of Jumper Carter Sease, the firm handling the project.

The facility will accommodate about 2,000 spectators for basketball games, Carter said.

The arena-style seating will create a unique environment in the facility, Carter said.

It will also feature a new spacious lobby and concessions area and additional restrooms, as well as four locker rooms for boys’ and girls’ junior varsity and boys’ and girls’ varsity teams, he said.

The building will also include coaches’ offices, a referee area, an athletic director’s office, conference room, team meeting and film room and a large trophy area, Carter said.

It will also offer areas to separate team traffic from public traffic after games or between games, according to Carter.

The new gymnasium will add 35,000 square feet of space to the existing gym’s 27,392 square feet for a total of 62,392 square feet.

“We’re going to work toward having it ready in time for basketball season in 2010,“ Carter said. “I’m not promising that, but we’re going to work toward that.“

A corridor will tie the new and existing gyms together, Carter said. He said connecting the two buildings will not add to the overall cost of the project.

“It will create a much safer atmosphere,“ Carter said of the facility.

The front of the new brick structure will face Washington Street and feature large windows that will give the facility an identifiable and distinctive appearance, he said.

At the same meeting, the board approved a budget of up to $610,000 for a new track at Lamar High School. The funding includes architectural and engineering fees, site work, track surfacing, fencing and lighting.